The nature of some garments requires the formation of a slit opening for conveniently putting the garment on. Such an opening is often comprised of overlapping inner and outer plackets. An example of such a garment is the button-up shirt, in which the plackets ordinarily extend downwardly from a central location at the front of a neck opening. In making such garments, formation of the placket usually involves placement of additional layers of material over the primary fabric layer and/or folding the primary layer back onto itself. Button holes are formed on the outer placket by cutting a slotted opening through the placket in the desired location and sewing along each side of the opening through all of the layers. The inner placket includes a plurality of buttons, usually attached with thread, each of which is aligned with a corresponding button hole.
Buttoned plackets, particularly on the front of a shirt, are prone to gaping. When a shirt is chosen to properly fit a person's shoulders and arm length, for example, the chest portion of the shirt is often too small to accommodate the person's chest without pulling the plackets of the shirt apart, thereby creating a gap. This problem with button down garments is especially troubling for women. A gaping blouse can be a source of embarrassment or unwanted staring. Different bra sizes and styles, such as padded bras, may exacerbate the tightness of a blouse, contributing to the problem.
Others have attempted to address this problem by placing double sided tape between the plackets of clothing prone to gape. Tape provides a temporary solution; however, the tape loses its adhesion over time and may fail during use. Furthermore, the tape is not reusable and a new piece must be used for each garment each time it is worn.
Accordingly, there is a need for a reusable solution to a gaping placket that works with multiple garments with different button spacing. Moreover, there is a need for a solution that is inconspicuous and durable.